[peqi-hackathon-orga] Detailed answers to many many questions

Hi all,

Paolo, thanks for your questions -- and sorry for the long delay in
replying!

> On 30/08/2019 17:28, Paolo Villoresi wrote:
>> Dear Vesna and Marc and all,
>>
>> after discussing  here in Padova on the organisation documents, we pointed out some open issues, as follows:
>>
>> -       Who Introduces the challenges? Same challenges for all nodes? Are they  already defined? 

There is a "core challenge" (integrate QKD with everything)
(e.g. e-mail, chat, messaging, browser, OpenSSL...)

And

Other people can come up with their own ideas!

(in the previous hackathon we had, there were many projects: IRTF draft,
Improvements to SimulaQron, etc )

https://github.com/RIPE-Atlas-Community/ripe-atlas-community-contrib/tree/master/quantum-internet-hackathon

https://labs.ripe.net/Members/elena_signorelli/your-quantum-internet-hackathon-report-for-2018

> A one-person (Marc in Delft) describes all challenges? On this, what is the roles of the local people?
If your question is "who will make a talk / a presentation about the
challenges" - I would say:

1. a local host will make an introduction of the "core challenge"
=> there has to be an "owner" who wants to work on this & "lead" a team

2. there will be a "video link" introduction from all the nodes to all
the nodes

3. THEN, anyone in each group can suggest another project -- or another
aspect of "tackling" the "core challenge" -- and others will join

I expect 3-5 teams of 3-6 people per node
(3x6 = 18; 5x5=25.. depends on how many people each "node" has...)

>> -       Juror: who they are judging? The local teams? Or the whole QIH?

local jurors are "judging" local teams;
there *might* be a decision of "all jurors" about "one winning
project/team" -- but!!

1. it's not a competition!!

2. from 5x5 projects, there will be MORE THEN ONE *great* project!!

>> -       On the use of SimulaQron: Are there preliminary examples? Guides? Who may answer on specific questions? (we never used it)

Here is the one from 2018:

https://github.com/RIPE-Atlas-Community/ripe-atlas-community-contrib/blob/master/quantum-internet-hackathon/presentations/_SimulaQron_hackathon_instructions_smaller.pdf


>> -       Team formation: as teams need to be interdisciplinary, shall we foster a team building before the event? 

Yes. We can do this through the mailing lists, Slack channels, physical
meetups of the people who applied & are accepted, and/or Webinar

> This would require a preliminary description of the challenges.

It is described - vaguely - in the original article.

>> -       Team are competing among themselves within the node or against these in other nodes?

It's NOT (really) a competition!!

There is NO prize to win!

It's about team-work & collaboration... and being the best possible YOU,
by contributing to concentric-circles of:
- your team
- your "node"
- whole hackathon
- whole Quantum Internet efforts

>> -       It is also mentioned the cooperation among teams of different nodes: how this may happen? Via direct AV connections with their PCs?

There are several aspects of this:
- simulated "quantum connection"
- traditional Internet connection (via AWS) (for the simulated one)
- chat-channel on Slack
- video-link 2 times a day

We are working on all of these.
That's why we need so many organisers ;-)

>> -       What specific/technical skills and knowledge are required to local facilitator and coordinator?

There are several roles:
- technical coordinator for content - should know some quantum mechanics
& some programming (IMHO)
- technical coordinator for *traditional* internet: must know
networking, how to make equipment work... sys-admining..
- logistics coordinator: must be good with people & suppliers &
time-keeping & maintenance people in the local venue
- people coordinator: helps form team, keeps track of time, keeps
contact with other nodes, helps solve conflicts, helps make presentations..

All this is described in the "nodes requirement" document on Trello

> On what to prepare oneself for it? Materials? We have found the 1712.08032.pdf arxiv paper of Stephanie, what more?

I can not answer that - it's too much about technical content.

>> -       The term "winners per category” is not clear: what are these?

We still need to agree on categories.

Here are some examples:

Best team-work
Best idea
Most complete project

Winners will "win" something symbolic - and we still need to agree on
"prizes"..

>> Moreover, about the deadline, in Padova the lectures of the semester will start end of the September. there is weak student presence  before that, and we are facing problems in promoting the registration.
>> We would like to ask - at least for Padova - a one month extension in the deadline. the subsequent phases may be compressed accordingly.

This has been agreed & addressed already. (see Trello)


I hope all these answers help.

Of course, it's just *my* opinion -- AND it's an expert opinion of
someone who organised 10 hackathons till now -- but -- this is the first
time it's a *distributed* event, in 5 locations, so I'm open to
corrections & other suggestions, please feel free to question anything I
said, and make it better :)

Ciao,
Vesna